Tips for spotting and avoiding personal loan scams
Personal loan scams have been on the rise. Here are six red flags that can help you identify scammers and find reputable personal loan lenders. (iStock) When you’re in desperate need of cash and unsure how to identify legitimate lenders, it can be easy to fall for a personal loan scam. Consumers reported 99,667 cases of identity theft in 2020 for business and personal loans, according to the Federal Trade Commission. This represents a 127% increase from the previous year. If you don’t see the warning sign of a personal loan scam and you fall into a scammer’s trap, your identity can be stolen. You could end up with fraudulent information on your credit report, and a scammer could steal some of your hard-earned money. To avoid being ripped off by fraudsters, learn how to identify some common warning signs of a personal loan scam. If you’re looking for a reputable lender, visit an online marketplace like Credible to explore personal loan options. A personal loan scam happens when someone pretends to be a legitimate personal loan lender. Although their deceptive tactics vary, they may promise to issue you a personal loan in exchange for an upfront fee, send you a fake check in the mail, or even con you into filling out a fake personal loan application. The scammer’s main objective is to trick you into giving them money, sensitive personal information, or both. Once they have your important data, they can steal your identity and apply for credit in your name. If they succeed, they can cause major damage to your credit, which could temporarily prevent you from qualifying for much-needed financing or an apartment or house. It can be tough to distinguish a reputable lender from a fake one if you don’t know what to look for. While scammers are constantly evolving their tactics, here are six common warning signs to help you identify potential scams. Before approving you for a loan, a lender usually reviews key factors like your debt-to-income ratio, credit score, and income. By doing so, it can assess the likelihood of you repaying the loan or charge higher loan rates for those with bad credit — those with better credit scores typically qualify for a better interest rate. If a loan company tells you it guarantees loan approval without going through this process, this is a sign the loan company may be fraudulent. Legitimate personal loan financial institutions, even those that offer bad credit loans, usually have a review process with credit checks to confirm your income and credit history. Although some financial institutions may charge you application or origination fees for underwriting the loan, these fees are usually taken from the loan amount. Legitimate personal loan lenders don’t ask borrowers to wire money or use gift cards or prepaid credit cards. In addition, lenders won’t charge an origination fee to check your rates. If a lender asks for an upfront fee, you might be dealing with a personal loan scam. It’s illegal for a lender or telemarketer to guarantee you’ll qualify for a loan by phone in exchange for a fee because it violates the Telemarketing Sales Rule, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If a lender does this, it’s definitely a sign you should run. While you can be approved for a personal loan over the phone, this involves you contacting a lender. A lender shouldn’t contact you unsolicited. Once you contact the lender, it will ask you to provide some financial and personal information to complete your loan application. Afterward, you’ll have to review and sign a loan agreement before your funds are issued. If you’re considering a personal loan or want to take out a second personal loan, you can visit Credible to compare loan rates and lenders. Lenders are required to be registered in each state they do business in. If a company isn’t registered in your state, then offering you a personal loan is against the law. If a company is not registered in any state, it may be a sign of a scam. To make sure you’re avoiding a personal loan scam, double-check with your state’s attorney general’s office to see if the company is properly registered. While a legitimate lender may send you prescreened offers in the mail as a form of advertisement, it won’t contact you directly to solicit your business. If you do receive a pre-approved or prescreened offer — sometimes in the form of a check that you can cash — be sure to carefully review the loan terms and comparison shop before you cash the check. Remember, a real company will require you to submit a formal application that includes personal and financial information and perform a credit check. If a lender says no credit check is required, proceed with caution. This could be a warning signal. Some high-cost lenders, like payday loan companies, waive credit checks but, in exchange, they charge a very high effective interest rate. A legitimate loan company will perform a hard credit inquiry to determine whether it should approve your loan. In addition to a lender being registered in your state, you should focus on these five factors to help you determine if a loan company is legit: To learn more, visit Credible to compare rates from multiple personal loan lenders. Taking the steps above can help you avoid scammers, but it doesn’t eliminate the risk of fraud. If you believe you’ve been scammed, here’s what you can do: Here are four steps you can take to find a legitimate personal loan lender: Source: Read Full Article
What are personal loan scams?
6 red flags of a personal loan scam
1. The lender guarantees approval
2. Upfront fees
3. The lender offers you a loan by phone
4. The lender isnโt registered in your state
5. The lender contacts you directly to offer the loan
6. The lender says no credit check is needed
How to tell if a personal loan company is legitimate
What should you do if you get scammed?
How to find a legitimate personal loan company